DIANA, Roman Mythology Index Venus Binding Cupid (detail Diana), by Tiziano Vecelli (Titian) (1485-1576), Italian Renaissance painter An original Italian divinity, whom the Romans completely identified with the Greek Artemis . The earliest trace of her worship occurs in the story about Servius Tullius , who is said to have dedicated to her a temple on the Aventine, on the ides of Sextilis (August.) It is added that, as Diana was the protectress of the slaves, the day on which that temple had been dedicated was afterwards celebrated every year by slaves of both sexes, and was called the day of the slaves (dies servorum; Fest. s. v. servorum dies; Plut. Quaest. Rom. 100; Martial, xii. 67.) Besides that day of the slaves, we hear of no festival of Diana in early times, which may be accounted for by supposing that either she was a divinity of inferior rank, or that her worship had been introduced at Rome without being sanctioned or recognized by the government, that is, by the ruling patricians.

The former cannot have been the case, as the goddess was worshipped by the plebeians and the Latins as their patron divinity; for a tradition related that the plebeians had emigrated twice to the Aventine, where stood the temple of Diana (Liv. ii. 32, iii. 51, 54; Sallust, Jug. 31); and the temple which Servius Tullius built on the Aventine was founded for the benefit of the Latin subjects, who assembled and sacrificed there every year. (Dionys. iv. 26; comp. Liv. i. 45; Plut. Quaest. Rom. 4.) The Sabines and Latins, who formed the main stock of the plebeians, were thus in all probability the original worshippers of Diana at Rome. Now we know that the Aventine was first occupied by the conquered Sabines who were transplanted to Rome (Serv. ad Aen. vii. 657; Dionys. iii.

43), and as it is stated that shortly before the decemviral legislation the Aventine was assigned to the plebeians, and that the law ordaining this assignment was kept in the temple of Diana (Dionys. x. 32; Liv. iii. 54), it seems clear that Diana's worship was introduced at Rome by the Sabines and Latins on their becoming plebeians, and that she was worshipped by them in particular without the state taking any notice of her, or ordaining any festival in honour of her. Varro (de L. L. v. 74) moreover expressly attests, that the worship and name of Diana had come from the Sabines. Now, as the religion of the Latins and Sabines did not differ in any essential point from that of the Romans, we may ask what Roman divinity corresponded to the Sabine or Latin Diana? Diana loved to dwell in groves and in the neighbourhood of wells; she inspired men with enthusiasm and madness; she dreaded the very sight of male beings so much, that no man was allowed to enter her temple, and she herself remained a virgin (Horat. Epist. ii. 1.

454; Plut. Quaest. Rom. 3; Fest. s. v. Juvenilia; Augustin, de Civ. Dei, vii. 16); and these characteristics at once show a striking resemblance between Diana and Feronia or Fauna Fatua . This circumstance, and the fact that Diana was the goddess of the moon, also render it easy to conceive how the Romans afterwards came to identify Diana with the Greek Artemis, for Fauna Fatua bore the same relation to Picus and Faunus that Artemis bore to Apollo . (Hartung, Die Relig. der Röm. ii. p. 207, &c.; Niebuhr, Hist. of Rome, i. p. 367, &c.) [Comp. VIRBIUS .] Diana *** Who was Diana? Diana was the Roman goddess of the moon and hunting.

She was worshipped at a festival on August 13 called Nemoralia, the Festival of Torches during which worshippers of Diana would form a procession of torches and candles around the dark waters of the sacred Lacus Nemorensis, or forest-buried lake, near Aricia, referred to as Diana's Mirror. Aricia is a town in the Province of Rome in the Alban Hills of the Lazio (Latium) region. The lights of their candles and torches joined the light of the moon reflecting upon the surface of the water. During the Festival of Nemoralia it was forbidden to hunt and kill animals. Diana was often depicted in art with the crescent of the moon above her forehead as can be seen in the picture. Picture of the hunting Goddess Diana and the crescent of the moon above her forehead Facts about Diana The following facts and profile provides a fast overview of Diana: Diana Profile & Fact File Roman Name: Diana Role & Function: The function of this goddess is described as being the goddess of the moon and hunting Status: Major Goddess and one of the 'Dei Consentes', the Council of Gods.

Symbols: The cypress tree, deer, the bow and arrow, hounds, and the moon Alternative Names: Diviana Greek Counterpart: The Greek name for this goddess was Artemis Name of Husband: Unmarried Names of Children: None Facts about Diana in Roman History and ancient Mythology Discover interesting information and facts about the Roman goddess of the moon and hunting. The facts about Diana provides a list detailing fascinating additional info to increase your knowledge about Diana in ancient Mythology and Roman history. She featured in the legends and myths relating to the Ceryneian hind, Endymon, Actaeon, Niobe and the Satyrs. Myth of Diana and Actaeon History and Mythical Facts about Diana Fact 1 about Diana: She was the virgin daughter of Jupiter and Latona and her twin brother was Apollo, god of the sun Fact 2 about Diana: Her symbol of the cypress tree traditionally represented mourning and grief and relates to Diana because, like her brother Apollo, although associated with healing she could also bring terrible diseases.

Fact 3 about Diana: Her symbol of the deer relates to the myth about the Ceryneian hind that was briefly kidnapped by Heracles (Hercules) as part of his 12 labors. Fact 4 about Diana: As goddess of the moon the ancients believed that every evening she mounted her moon chariot, and drove her pure white horses across the heavens Fact 5 about Diana: Her hunting dogs were given to her by Pan, the god of forest who gave her seven female dogs and six males. Fact 6 about Diana: She was extremely possessive and selfish. Diana would wreck revenge on anyone who did not obey her wishes and valued her chastity so greatly that she took terrible measures against anyone who even slightly threatened her Fact 7 about Diana: She was noted as a tall goddess and was depicted wearing a short hunting dress called a buskin Fact 8 about Diana: The statues of the goddess were generally erected at a point where three roads met, for which reason she is identified with Trivia and Hecate Fact 9 about Diana: A temple was dedicated to her on the Aventine hill in Rome by Servius Tullius, who is said to have first introduced the worship of the goddess into Rome.

Fact 10 about Diana: The festival of Nemoralia was eventually adopted by Roman Catholics as the Feast of the Assumption Diana (Greek Counterpart was Artemis) The Romans habitually assimilated various elements from other cultures and civilisations, including the gods and goddesses that were worshipped by the Greeks and other nations. When the Roman Empire conquered the Greeks in 146BC many of the Greek gods and goddesses were adopted by the Romans. The Romans simply changed the Greek gods names to Latin equivalents. The Greek counterpart of Diana was Artemis. The Roman religion significantly differed from the Greeks in that it was officially endorsed by the state and exerted influence over the government of Rome. Politicians took the offices of influential priests, called pontiffs, to gain control of the popular worship, Roman gods and goddesses like Diana were worshipped at every public event, including the gladiatorial games, where blood sacrifices were made to the gods. In ancient Rome, the pantheon of 12 major gods, including Diana, were called the 'Dei Consentes' meaning the Council of Gods.

Diana and the Roman Gods Family Tree and Genealogy The Roman gods family tree provides an instant overview of the genealogy and the family connections and relationships between the main deities, including Diana, who feature in the legends and mythology of the ancient Romans. The Primeval gods and deities, the Titans and the Roman Olympians. Diana Interesting information and Facts about this Roman goddess The Roman goddess of the moon and hunting Stories & Legends in Roman Mythology associated with the goddess Facts and information about the Gods and Deities of the Ancient World for schools and kids Diana, the Roman goddess of the moon and hunting Goddess Diana Goddess Diana Diana . . . The Roman Goddess was known by many names including Queen of Heaven; the Great Goddess; Lunar Virgin; Mother of Animals; Lady of Wild Creatures; and the Huntress. Diana as the Roman Moon-Goddess was originally worshipped on the mountain Tifata near Capua and in sacred forests. Later she was given a temple in the working-class area on the Aventine Hill where she was mainly worshipped by the lower class (plebeians) and the slaves, of whom she was the patroness. She is often depicted carrying a bow and arrow and wearing animal skins or accompanied by animals.

When the Greek city of Ephesus fell to Roman rule, Goddess Diana was merged with the Greek Goddess Artemis. This is most likely due to the fact that around the time of the Roman empire, Romans would allow the places they over took to continue worshipping their own Gods and Goddesses, incorporating those Goddesses into the Roman Pantheon. Artemis and Diana were worshipped at the same times historically and when the Great Greek Temple of Artemis was destroyed the Romans rebuilt it in honor of Diana and the myth of Goddess Diana of Ephesus began. Stories of Goddess Diana are told form the beginning of Troy to the Christian Bible of King James in the scriptures of Acts and the gospels of Paul. "Acts|19:27 So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.

Acts|19:28 And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians." The multi-breasted statue of Diana at Her Temple in Ephesus displayed her capability to nourish all creatures and provide for them. Worshippers adored Goddess Diana so much that the only way the Christians could rid the people of their Goddess was by assimilating her into their new religion. Thus Ephesus became a place of Mary, Mother of God. The church even invented stories of Mary living at Ephesus and being entombed there. In Babylonia, and in the nation of Assyria, she was known as "ISHTAR" The Phoenicians called her "ASTARTE". The Israelites knew her as "ASHTORETH". Diana was also the goddess of the Latin commonwealth where She rule with Her brother Lucifer. Lucifer being a Latin word for ï¿½Light Bringerï¿½. In Italy the old religion of Stergheria embraced goddess Diana as Queen of the Witches. Witches being the wise women healers of the time.

Goddess Diana created the world of her own being having in herself the seeds of all creation yet to come. It is said that out of herself she divided into the darkness and the light, keeping for herself the darkness of creation and creating her brother Lucifer, the light. Goddess Diana loved and ruled with her brother Lucifer, the god of the Sun and Moon. As time went on, the Earth was created and Diana descended to Earth, as did her brother Lucifer. Diana taught magick and witches were born. One night using witchcraft in the form of a cat, His most beloved animal, Diana tricked Lucifer. She gained entrance to His chamber where She seduced Him. From this union a daughter was born. Goddess Aradia. In other versions of this myth we find the similarities the Christain tales take as their own in attempts to dispel the Goddess. The first being, Lucifer who is so proud of his beauty, and who for his pride is driven from the Paradise of Goddess as is the tale of Lucifer falling from Gods grace.

The second being Goddess Diana also sends Her daughter Aradia to live as a mortal and save the misfortunate people of Earth as does God send His son Jesus to live as a mortal and save the people. As pagans my sisters, Goddess Diana is the eternal Mother of all creation, the first that is and the last that will be. She is the Huntress of the forest seeking means of survival. She is the call of the wild, the beating heart of the forests, the animal spirit within, urging us to remember our origins. She awakens nature within us that we remember to feel the rustling wind through our hair, to hear the howling of a wolf or the echo of a voice in the forest. Goddess Diana calls to us to let our animal essence out and hone our inherent sensibilities. Dance and sing to the moon, run until our heart pounds to the top of a hill, to take a swim in a creek, roll around in the grass as we once did as a children, or just gaze upon the stars in wonderment; knowing all the while that Goddess Diana is within us, sharing sharing our journey. As with the Christian invasion into the old religion , we too are told as women what is right and wrong.

We are told what is the correct thinking to blend into a society that denies us our truth. Not tonight my sisters, tonight we pray to the Goddess Diana that you never forget the wonders of creation, the joy of being alive, and the importance of being a woman. Tonight we pray to GoddessDiana to be filled with Her strength to survive the challenges that would steal our dreams. under Her Full Moon we are alive in Her reflection. As a Circle of women we pray to Goddess Diana to grants us development and change within ourselves. As we embrace Her energy that is the vibrations of the universe that lives within us let the hunt begin. Let us seek out and tame the resources that is the beast and the forest of our lives. As goddess Diana let us be the huntress of our path. Tonight as women we say ï¿½Great is the Goddess Diana and Great is the Goddess in Meï¿½. Diana (Artemis), Greek and Roman Goddess - Windows to the Universe Other images about the goddess Diana Diana Diana was an ancient Italian goddess of woodland. In Capua and in Aricia, a locality near Rome, there are still shrines dedicated to the old Italian goddess. Diana was the twin sister of the god Apollo .

Her father and mother were Jupiter and Latona. Diana believed her body was very sacred, and so no man was to see her naked. One day a wandering hunter came across Diana bathing. She became very angry, and turned him into a stag. She was always surrounded by young beautiful attendants, who used to hunt with her. Romans identified Diana with the Greek goddess Artemis . As Artemis, she was also a Moon goddess. Last modified August 1, 2002 by Jennifer Bergman . Shop Windows to the Universe Science Store! Artemis | Greek goddess | Britannica.com Greek goddess Zeus Artemis, in Greek religion , the goddess of wild animals, the hunt, and vegetation, and of chastity and childbirth; she was identified by the Romans with Diana . Artemis was the daughter of Zeus and Leto and the twin sister of Apollo . Among the rural populace, Artemis was the favourite goddess. Her character and function varied greatly from place to place, but, apparently, behind all forms lay the goddess of wild nature, who danced, usually accompanied by nymphs, in mountains, forests, and marshes.

Artemis embodied the sportsman’s ideal, so besides killing game she also protected it, especially the young; this was the Homeric significance of the title Mistress of Animals. Artemis as a huntress, Classical sculpture; in the Louvre, Paris. Alinari/Art Resource, New York The worship of Artemis probably flourished in Crete or on the Greek mainland in pre-Hellenic times. Many of Artemis’ local cults, however, preserved traces of other deities, often with Greek names, suggesting that, upon adopting her, the Greeks identified Artemis with nature divinities of their own. The virginal sister of Apollo is very different from the many-breasted Artemis of Ephesus, for example. Dances of maidens representing tree nymphs (dryads) were especially common in Artemis’ worship as goddess of the tree cult, a role especially popular in the Peloponnese . Throughout the Peloponnese, bearing such epithets as Limnaea and Limnatis (Lady of the Lake), Artemis supervised waters and lush wild growth, attended by nymphs of wells and springs (naiads). In parts of the peninsula her dances were wild and lascivious.

Outside the Peloponnese, Artemis’ most familiar form was as Mistress of Animals. Poets and artists usually pictured her with the stag or hunting dog, but the cults showed considerable variety. For instance, the Tauropolia festival at Halae Araphenides in Attica honoured Artemis Tauropolos (Bull Goddess), who received a few drops of blood drawn by sword from a man’s neck. Similar Topics Artemis - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) In the religion and mythology of ancient Greece, Artemis was the goddess of the hunt and of wild animals and vegetation. In statues and paintings she was often portrayed with a stag or a hunting dog and a bow and a quiver of arrows. She was said to dance in the mountains, forests, and marshes, usually in the company of her attendants, who were nymphs. Artemis was the daughter of Zeus and Leto, a Titan, and was the twin sister of Apollo. Because Leto bore Artemis without experiencing the pains of childbirth, Artemis was also a patroness of women in labor. In some later myths, she was associated with the Moon (while her brother, Apollo, was associated with the Sun).

She was one of the 12 chief gods said to live on Mount Olympus. The ancient Romans identified their goddess Diana with Artemis. Article History Diana - Goddess of the Moon and Hunting - Crystalinks Diana In Roman mythology, Diana (lt. "heavenly" or "divine") was the goddess of the hunt and moon and birthing, being associated with wild animals and woodland, and having the power to talk to and control animals. She was equated with the Greek goddess Artemis, though she had an independent origin in Italy. Diana was worshiped in ancient Roman religion and is revered in Roman Neopaganism and Stregheria. Dianic Wicca, a largely feminist form of the practice, is named for her. Diana was known to be the virgin goddess of childbirth and women. She was one of the three maiden goddesses, Diana, Minerva and Vesta, who swore never to marry. Oak groves were especially sacred to her. According to mythology, Diana was born with her twin brother Apollo on the island of Delos, daughter of Jupiter and Latona.

Diana made up a triad with two other Roman deities: Egeria the water nymph, her servant and assistant midwife; and Virbius, the woodland god. Artemis Temple Complex Theology The persona of Diana is complex and contains a number of archaic features. According to Dumezil it falls into a particular subset of celestial gods, referred to in histories of religion as frame gods. Such gods, while keeping the original features of celestial divinities, i.e. transcendent heavenly power and abstention from direct rule in worldly matters, did not share the fate of other celestial gods in Indoeuropean religions - that of becoming dei otiosi or gods without practical purpose, since they did retain a particular sort of influence over the world and mankind. The celestial character of Diana is reflected in her connection with light, inaccessibility, virginity, and her preference for dwelling on high mountains and in sacred woods. Diana therefore reflects the heavenly world (diuum means sky or open air) in its sovereignty, supremacy, impassibility, and indifference towards such secular matters as the fates of mortals and states.

At the same time, however, she is seen as active in ensuring the succession of kings and in the preservation of humankind through the protection of childbirth. These functions are apparent in the traditional institutions and cults related to the goddess. 1) The institution of the rex Nemorensis, Diana's sacerdos (priest) in the Arician wood, who held the position till someone else challenged and killed him in a duel, after breaking a branch from a certain tree of the wood. This ever open succession reveals the character and mission of the goddess as a guarantor of kingly status through successive generations. Her function as bestower of authority to rule is also attested in the story related by Livy in which a Sabine man who sacrifices a heifer to Diana wins for his country the seat of the Roman empire. 2) Diana was also worshipped by women who wanted to be pregnant or who, once pregnant, prayed for an easy delivery. This form of worship is attested in archeological finds of votive statuettes in her sanctuary in the nemus Aricinum as well as in ancient sources, e.g.

Ovid According to Dumezil the forerunner of all frame gods is an Indian epic hero who was the image (avatar) of the Vedic god Dyaus. Having renounced the world, in his roles of father and king, he attained the status of an immortal being while retaining the duty of ensuring that his dynasty is preserved and that there is always a new king for each generation. The Scandinavian god Heimdallr performs an analogous function: he is born first and will die last. He too gives origin to kingship and the first king, bestowing on him regal prerogatives. Diana, although a female deity, has exactly the same functions, preserving mankind through childbirth and royal succession. Physical Description Diana often appeared as a young woman, age around 12 to 19. It was believed that she had a fair face like Aphrodite with a tall body, slim, small hips, and a high forehead. As a goddess of hunting, she wore a very short tunic so she could hunt and run easily and is often portrayed holding a bow, and carrying a quiver on her shoulder, accompanied by a deer or hunting dogs. Sometimes the hunted creature would also be shown.

As goddess of the moon, however, Diana wore a long robe, sometimes with a veil covering her head. Both as goddess of hunting and goddess of the moon she is frequently portrayed wearing a moon crown. Worship Diana was initially just the hunting goddess, associated with wild animals and woodlands. She also later became a moon goddess, supplanting Titan goddess Luna. She also became the goddess of childbirth and ruled over the countryside. Catullus wrote a poem to Diana in which she has more than one alias: Latonia, Lucina, Iuno, Trivia, Luna. In Rome the cult of Diana should have been almost as old as the city itself as Varro mentions her in the list of deities to whom king Titus Tatius vowed a shrine. It is noteworthy that the list includes Luna and Diana Lucina as separate entities. Another testimony to the high antiquity of her cult is to be found in the lex regia of king Tullus Hostilius that condemns those guilty of incest to the sacratio to the goddess.

Diana was worshipped at a festival on August 13, when King Servius Tullius, himself born a slave, dedicated her temple on the Aventine Hill in the mid-6th century BC. Being placed on the Aventine, and thus outside the pomerium, meant that Diana's cult essentially remained a foreign one, like that of Bacchus; she was never officially transferred to Rome as Juno was after the sack of Veii. It seems that her cult originated in Aricia, where her priest, the Rex Nemorensis remained. There the simple open-air fane was held in common by the Latin tribes, which Rome aspired to weld into a league and direct. Diana of the wood was soon thoroughly Hellenized, "a process which culminated with the appearance of Diana beside Apollo in the first lectisternium at Rome". Diana was regarded with great reverence by lower-class citizens and slaves; slaves could receive asylum in her temples. This fact is of difficult interpretation. Georg Wissowa proposed the explanation that it might be because the first slaves of the Romans must have been Latins of the neighbouring tribes. However in Ephesus too there was the same custom of the asylum.

According to Fran�oise H�l�ne Pairault's study, historical and archaeological evidence point to the fact that both Diana of the Aventine and Diana Nemorensis were the product of the direct or indirect influence of the cult of Artemis spread by the Phoceans among the Greek towns of Campania Cuma and Capua, which in turn passed it over to the Etruscans and the Latins by the VI and V centuries BC. The origin of the ritual of the rex Nemorensis should have to be traced to the legend of Orestes and Iphigenia more than that of Hippolitos. The formation of the Latin League led by Laevius (or Baebius) Egerius happened under the influence of an alliance with the tyrant of Cuma Aristodemos and is probably connected to the political events at end of the 6th century narrated by Livy and Dionysius, such as the siege of Aricia by Porsenna's son Arruns.

It is remarkable that the composition of this league does not reflect that of the Latin people who took part in the Latiar or Feriae Latinae given by Pliny and it has not as its leader the rex Nemorensis but a dictator Latinus. It should thence be considered a political formation and not a traditional society founded on links of blood. It looks as if the confrontation happened between two groups of Etruscans who fought for supremacy, those from Tarquinia, Vulci and Caere (allied with the Greeks of Capua) and those of Clusium. This is reflected in the legend of the coming of Orestes to Nemi and of the inhumation of his bones in the Roman Forum near the temple of Saturn.The cult introduced by Orestes at Nemi is apparently that of the Artemis Tauropolos. The literary amplification reveals a confused religious background: different Artemis were conflated under the epithet. As far as Nemi's Diana is concerned there are two different versions, by Strabo and Servius Honoratus. Strabo's version looks to be the most authoritative as he had access to first hand primary sources on the sanctuaries of Artemis, i.e.

the priest of Artemis Artemidoros of Ephesus. The meaning of Tauropolos denotes an Asiatic goddess with lunar attributes, lady of the herds. The only possible interpretatio graeca of high antiquity concerning Diana Nemorensis could have been the one based upon this ancient aspect of deity of light, master of wildlife. Tauropolos is an ancient epithet attached to Hecate, Artemis and even Athena. According to the legend Orestes founded Nemi together with Iphigenia. At Cuma the Sybil is the priestess of both Phoibos and Trivia. Hesiod and Stesichorus tell the story according to which after her death Iphigenia was divinized under the name of Hecate, fact which would support the assumption that Artemis Tauropolos had a real ancient alliance with the heroine, who was her priestess in Taurid and her human paragon. This religious complex is in turn supported by the triple statue of Artemis-Hecate. A coin minted by P. Accoleius Lariscolus in 43 BC has been acknowledged as representing the archaic statue of Diana Nemorensis.

It represents Artemis with the bow at one extremity, Luna-Selene with flowers at the other and a central deity not immediately identifiable, all united by a horizontal bar. The iconographical analysis allows the dating of this image to the 6th century at which time there are Etruscan models. Two heads found in the sanctuary and the Roman theatre at Nemi, which have a hollow on their back, lend support to this interpretation of an archaic Diana Trivia, in whom three different elements are associated. The presence of a Hellenized Diana at Nemi should be related to the presence of the cult in Campania, as Diana Tifatina was appeled Trivia in an imperial age inscription which mentions a flamen Virbialis dedicated by eques C. Octavius Verus. Cuma too had a cult of a chthonic Hecate and certainly had strict contacts with Latium. The theological complex present in Diana looks very elaborated and certainly Hellenic, while an analogous Latin concept of Diana Trivia seems uncertain, as Latin sources reflect a Hellenised character of the goddess.

Though some Roman patrons ordered marble replicas of the specifically Anatolian "Diana" of Ephesus, where the Temple of Artemis stood, Diana was usually depicted for educated Romans in her Greek guise. If she is accompanied by a deer, as in the Diana of Versailles (illustration, above right) this is because Diana was the patroness of hunting. The deer may also offer a covert reference to the myth of Acteon (or Actaeon), who saw her bathing naked. Diana transformed Acteon into a stag and set his own hunting dogs to kill him. Worship of Diana is mentioned in the Bible. In Acts of the Apostles, Ephesian metal smiths who felt threatened by Saint Paul�s preaching of Christianity, jealously rioted in her defense, shouting �Great is Diana of the Ephesians!� (Acts 19:28, New English Bible).

After the city secretary quieted the crowd, he said, "Men of Ephesus, what person is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the keeper (guardian) of the temple of the great Diana and of her image that fell from heaven ?" (Acts 19:36) Sanctuaries Diana was an ancient goddess common to all Latin tribes. Therefore many sanctuaries were dedicated to her in the lands inhabited by Latins. The first one is supposed to have been near Alba Longa before the town was destroyed by the Romans. The Arician wood sanctuary near the lake of Nemi was Latin confederal as testified by the dedicatory epigraph quoted by Cato. She had a shrine in Rome on the Aventine hill, according to tradition dedicated by king Servius Tullius. Its location is remarkable as the Aventine is situated outside the pomerium, i.e. original territory of the city, in order to comply with the tradition that Diana was a goddess common to all Latins and not exclusively of the Romans.

Legacy Religion -- Diana's cult has been related in Early Modern Europe to the cult of Nicevenn (aka Dame Habond, Perchta, Herodiana, etc.). She was related to myths of a female Wild Hunt. Wicca -- Today there is a branch of Wicca named for her, which is characterized by an exclusive focus on the feminine aspect of the Divine. Diana's name is also used as the third divine name in a wiccan energy chant- "Isis Astarte Diana Hecate Demeter Kali Inanna". Stregheria -- In Italy the old religion of Stregheria embraced the goddess Diana as Queen of the Witches; witches being the wise women healers of the time. Diana was said to have created the world of her own being having in herself the seeds of all creation yet to come. It was said that out of herself she divided the darkness and the light, keeping for herself the darkness of creation and creating her brother Apollo, the light. Diana was believed to have loved and ruled with her brother Apollo, the god of the Sun.

Language --Both the Romanian word for "fairy" Zana and the Leonese word for "water nymph" xana, seem to come from the name of Diana. Arts -- Since the Renaissance the myth of Diana has often been represented in the visual and dramatic arts, including the opera L'arbore di Diana. In the sixteenth century, Diana's image figured prominently at the chateaus of Fontainebleau, Chenonceau, and at Anet, in deference to Diane de Poitiers, mistress of Henri of France. At Versailles she was incorporated into the Olympian iconography with which Louis XIV, the Apollo-like "Sun King" liked to surround himself. Diana is also a character in the 1876 Leo Delibes ballet Sylvia. The plot deals with Sylvia, one of Diana's nymphs and sworn to chastity, and Diana's assault on Sylvia's affections for the shepherd Amyntas. Diana is also referenced in literature, painting, sculpture, and film. Diana Diana by Micha F. Lindemans The Roman goddess of nature, fertility and childbirth. She is closely identified with the Greek goddess Artemis .

Diana is also a moon-goddess and was originally worshipped on the mountain Tifata near Capua and in sacred forests (such as Aricia in Latium). Her priest lived in Aricia and if a man was able to kill him with a bough broken from a tree in this forest, he would become priest himself 1. Also torch-bearing processions were held in her honor here. Later she was given a temple in the working-class area on the Aventine Hill where she was mainly worshipped by the lower class (plebeians) and the slaves, of whom she was the patroness. Slaves could also ask for asylum in her temple. Her festival coincided with the idus (13th) of August. Diana was originally a goddess of fertility and, just as Bona Dea , she was worshipped mainly by women as the giver of fertility and easy births. Under Greek influence she was equated with Artemis and assumed many of her aspects. Her name is possibly derived from 'diviana' ("the shining one"). She is portrayed as a huntress accompanied by a deer. Diana was also the goddess of the Latin commonwealth. 1.

Details of the ritual are described in "The Golden Bough" by Sir James George Frazer. Article details: Diana, Roman Goddess of the Hunt Diana, Roman Goddess of the Hunt Roman Deities Diana, Roman Goddess of the Hunt Statue of Diana, Gallery of Statues, Ducal palace, Lucca, Tuscany. Image by A. Pistolesi/De Agostini Picture Library/Getty Images By Patti Wigington Updated August 31, 2016. Many Pagans honor the goddess Diana (pronounced di-ANN-ah) in her various aspects. Particularly in feminist and NeoWiccan traditions, Diana holds a place in the heart of a number of modern magical practitioners. Her name is believed to come from an early Indo-European word, dyew or deyew, meaning “sky” or “heaven.” This same root word later gave us variants such as the Latin deus, meaning “god,” and dies, which meant “daylight.” Origins & History Much like the Greek Artemis , Diana began as a deity of the hunt who later evolved into a lunar goddess .

Honored by the ancient Romans, Diana was known as an accomplished huntress, and stood as a guardian of the forest and of the animals who resided within. Despite her virginal status, Diana later became known as a protector of women in childbirth, and other vulnerable people. A daughter of Jupiter, Diana was the twin sister of Apollo . Although there is significant overlap between Artemis and Diana, in Italy itself, Diana evolved into a separate and distinct persona. In Charles Leland's Aradia, Gospel of the Witches, he pays homage to Diana Lucifera (Diana of the light) in her aspect as a light-bearing goddess of the moon, and details the birth of her daughter, Aradia. Obviously, there is some discrepancy between Leland’s interpretations of Diana as mother, versus the traditional Roman mythology that names her as a virgin. Many feminist Wiccan groups, including the aptly named Dianic Wiccan tradition , honor Diana in her role as the embodiment of the sacred feminine. Appearance She is often associated with the powers of the moon, and in some classical artwork is portrayed wearing a crown that features a crescent moon.

She is typically presented carrying a bow, as a symbol of her hunt, and wearing a short tunic. It is not uncommon to see her as a beautiful young woman surrounded by wild animals such as the stag. In her role as Diana Venatrix, goddess of the chase, she is seen running, bow drawn, with her hair streaming behind her as she takes pursuit. Mythology Don't let Diana's lovely appearance fool you into thinking she's all kindness and beauty. In one myth about Diana, the goddess is out hunting in the woods and takes a break so she can bathe in a stream. While doing so, she is observed by a young man, Actaeon, who has wandered away from his own hunting party. Foolishly, Actaeon reveals himself , and confesses that Diana is the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen. For whatever reason - and scholars tend to vary on this - Diana turns Actaeon into a stag , and he’s promptly chased and torn to bits by his own hounds.

Worship & Celebration Diana’s worshipers honored her in a beautiful temple on the Aventine hill in Rome , and she was celebrated at a special festival, called the Nemoralia, each year around August 13. Offerings were made in the form of small, carved tablets, statuary, and intricately woven fabric tied along a fence in a sacred valley. The Nemoralia festival, which typically fell around the time of August’s full moon , takes its name from the place at which it was held. Lake Nemi was a sacred lake in a valley, surrounded by dense forests. Adherents of Diana would arrive at the lake at dusk, carrying torches in a processional. The reflected torchlight appeared in the surface of the water, along with the light from the evening’s full moon. As part of the preparation for a visit to Lake Nemi, women went through an elaborate ritual that involved washing their hair and decorating it with wreaths of flowers. The day of the Nemoralia was a day sacred to women. Honoring Diana Today How can you honor Diana today, as a modern Pagan? There are a number of ways you can celebrate Diana in her many aspects.

Try one or more of these as part of your magical practice: Are you a Pagan who is also a hunter ? Honor Diana before you set out, by making an offering to her of bread or fruit, or clay images. She seems to appreciate song as well – why not sing a song in her honor, asking for assistance with your hunt? If your hunt is successful, make sure you thank Diana afterwards. You can do this by singing her praises as you dress your kill. If you’re pregnant, and want her to watch over you in childbirth, create an altar to Diana . Include requests for protection on a small clay tablet tied with ribbon, or images of motherhood and children. Write prayers to Diana on ribbons or strips of fine cloth, and tie them to trees in the forest. Celebrate Diana at the time of the full moon with an altar full of candles designated in her name, or by calling upon her in a Drawing Down the Moon ritual .

Question: Which goddess in Greek Mythology did the Romans identify with Diana?
Answer: ARTEMIS